Ears! Flashcards
Conductive hearing loss
External and middle ear disease
Conduction of sound to cochlea is impaired
Sensorineural hearing loss
Defect in the conversion of sound into neural signals or in the transmission of those signals to cortex
- inner ear
- CN 8
- brainstem
- cortex
MC causative organisms of otitis externa
Pseudomonia aeruginosa (bacteria)–90%
5 risk factors for otitis externa
- Swimmer’s ear
- Q-tips (mechanical cleaning)
- Agressive scratching
- Hearing aids, earbuds
- Derm conditions (e.g., psoriasis)
Acute otitis media is most common in what age group?
Infants (6-15 months) because of the horizontal orientation of the eustachian tube
Mc causative organisms of acute otitis media
Bacterial: step pneumonia, hem. Influenza, moraxella catarrhalis
Clinical triad of acute otitis media
Otalgia + fever + conductive hearing loss (bulging tympanic membrane)
Barotrauma
Compromised eustachian tube function due to inability to equalize pressure in middle ear
-scuba diving or airplane descent
Presbycusis
MC cuase of sensorineural hearing loss
Age-related hearing loss (5th-6th decade)
progressive, BL hearing loss and inability to tolerate loud sounds
4 ddx of vertigo
- BPPV: positional
- Meniere’s: recurrent episodes
- Vestibular neuronitis/labrynthitis: single prolonged episode
- Acoustic neuroma
Meniere’s ds
Episodic attacks of tinnitus, sensorineural hearing loss, aural fullness, and vertigo lasting minutes/hours
Due to overaccumulation of endolymph, mostly unilateral
Vestibular neuronitis / labrynthitis
VN: inflammation of CN8 (vestibular portion)
-nystagmus toward affected ear
L: inflammation of CN8 (both cochlear and vestib portions)
-tinnitis and nystagmus
May be ass’d with upper respiratory tract infection
